P.B. Block Party: Robert Walter

CENTERPIECE
Put an extra fish taco on the barbie for him

The 30th incarnation of the P.B. Block Party should be a nice homecoming for Robert Walter

By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
May 12, 2005

As a founding member of the San Diego-based Greyboy Allstars, Robert Walter helped establish the acid-jazz mainstay as one of the best jam bands in the country. Now, with his 20th Congress, Walter returns to San Diego from his new home in New Orleans for a performance at this year's P.B. Block Party.

Say you have to move away from San Diego. Housing prices are high. You can't find enough work to get by. What's the one thing you'll miss the most? The beach? The sun? The Mexican food?

"I miss the Mexican food for sure," says former San Diegan and jazz-funk organist Robert Walter from his new home in New Orleans. "There's nothing even close here, although there is a lot of great food. I was raised on taco shop food and Mexican restaurants in San Diego."

This Saturday, Pacific Beach will offer its typical charms – the beach, the sun and the Mexican food – at the 30th annual Block Party. But P.B. also will present Robert Walter's 20th Congress and more than 40 other bands – both local and nationally recognized acts – for free. So you can enjoy the beach, the sun, a great plate of tacos and great music.

The line of musicians who developed their style here before moving on to other locales and greater notoriety is long and illustrious: Jewel, Jason Mraz, jazz pianist Bill Mays and DJ Greyboy. Walter hopes to add his name to the list.

Before migrating with his family to NOLA last July, Walter had co-founded the Greyboy Allstars with Karl Denson, then headed out on his own with Robert Walter's 20th Congress. As Walter describes it, the relative seclusion of San Diego allowed the Greyboy Allstars and other musicians to develop their own sound.

"It's never been a real thriving scene to the point where everyone is looking over their shoulder and trying to compete," Walter says about his days in the local music scene. "It's a good place to develop your own ideas and your own identity because you're in your own world. We developed our own little scene with the Greyboy Allstars and everything coming out of the Casbah, Black Heart Procession and all that stuff. The music gets to develop in its own world and be different."

The Greyboy Allstars, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe and Robert Walter's 20th Congress forged their own version of jazzy funk sounds. Inspired by James Brown's Horny Horns and 1960s and '70s improvisational funk, these San Diego bands updated the sound to create dance-floor jazz.

But without steady work at home, Walter and his cohorts felt they had to go out on the road to spread the good word.

"The blessing of San Diego for me was it forced me to get out on the road and create a national presence to get my career going. I had to leave to make a living," says Walter. "Had I been in a city with more local music, I might have never left. I might have been playing in bar bands for the rest of my life. If you really want to have longevity in your career as a musician, you need to get out there and tour."

With the move to New Orleans, Walter continually creates new music with new collaborators. He's currently touring with Frequinox, consisting of members from Galactic, the Headhunters and T.J. Kirk. The organist will release a new album in late summer titled "Super Heavy Organ" with the help of New Orleans funk pioneers past and present.

For the upcoming 30th annual Pacific Beach Block Party, Walter will take the stage with longtime 20th Congress collaborator Cochemea Gastelum on sax and Greyboy Allstars drummer Zak Najor.

One of the knocks on the local music scene is the "fair-weather fan" syndrome: "It's beautiful out all day and everyone goes to the beach during the day and goes home at night. So it's a difficult town as far as getting a real nightlife scene going. It's always had creative people. It's difficult to get people to come out."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.


BEST BETS *
BENEVENTO-RUSSO DUO (Karl Strauss Stage, 1:45-2:25 p.m.): Drummer Joe Russo and organist Marco Benevento manage to create a joyful cacophony. Embraced by the jam-band crowd, this duo combines elements of jazz and funk in a prog-rock package.

TRUCKEE BROTHERS (Mojo Sounds Acoustic Stage, 2:10-2:50 p.m.): Self-dubbed as "evil Everly Brothers," Peat Truckee (Patrick Dennis) and Cady Truckee (Christopher Hoffee) have taken the local scene by storm since their six-song 2004 EP "Wall to Wall." The band's 2005 release, "It Came From the Speakers," ranges from dirty rock 'n' roll ("Billy Club") to loungy 1960s pop (title track).

HOLIDAY & THE ADVENTURE POP COLLECTIVE (Mojo Sounds Acoustic Stage, 12:05-12:35 p.m.): Strumming guitars, singing strings and twangy pedal steel fill the music of Derric Oliver (vocals, violin, strings) and Louis Caverly (acoustic guitar, trumpet, tuba), aka Holiday & the Adventure Pop Collective. The Encinitas-based band recorded their excellent debut "Become" at Big Fish Studios in 2004.

STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS (Sycuan Mardi Gras Stage, 2-3:30 p.m.): It's not Mardi Gras and we're not on the bayou, but Steve Riley will serenade P.B. with the sweet sounds of Cajun music. Hailing from Mamou, La., in Evangeline Parish, Riley and his band play old-timey Cajun music like it should be played.

YOUNG DUBLINERS (San Diego CityBeat Stage, 4:20-5:30): Grounded in both Irish traditions and mellow contemporary rock, the Young Dubs have grown a devout audience here in San Diego. This Los Angeles quintet is less punk than Flogging Molly and not quite as traditional as the Chieftains.

– CHRIS NIXON

Ivy in the U-T

For Ivy's members, the path is 'Clear'

By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
May 5, 2005

'English is the language of pop music."

So says Ivy lead singer Dominique Durand in her exquisite French accent. The Paris-born vocalist grew up listening to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones even before she understood what they were saying.

Fifteen years ago she moved to New York City to study English, figuring to stay only a year. But an unexpected music career and her relationship with musician Andy Chase has kept her there. Durand came to learn English; now, she sings in English for a living.

Durand continues to make music with her husband Chase and Adam Schlesinger in their band Ivy. Durand and Chase met in the early 1990s. Sharing a passion for music, the two hit it off and started writing songs together. Durand had never sung professionally before hooking up with Ivy. Within a year, the band had signed a record deal with indie label Seed, even though the French-born singer had never performed live.

"So many great bands struggle for years and still have trouble getting signed," says Durand, who still sounds amazed that Ivy was able to pen a record deal in such a short time. "But we have to remember it was '94. It was a different time. It was an indie underground scene where being not so professional was actually a good thing."

The trio released a five-song EP – basically the band's demo tape – titled "Lately." The album lacks slick production, but captures the band's trademark breathy vocals and airy, guitar-driven compositions. With the full-length release "Realistic," the trio began learning the craft of record production and live performance.

" 'Realistic' came out and for the first time we had to start being a real band, going out on tour for long periods of time," says Durand. "That's when we started learning to become better musicians and for me, (I became) a better singer."

Ivy's breakthrough album was 1997's "Apartment Life," capturing the endearing qualities of the band's early recordings paired with a more mature approach to recording and production. Says Durand: "And for every album since then, we've gotten better at the touring and recording just by learning. We've been learning how to feel comfortable in the studio and learning how to produce yourself and arrange your songs."

The latest evidence of Ivy's maturation process is 2005's "In the Clear," a breezy collection of 10 gorgeous tunes. The beautifully layered work presents the problem of reproducing the album's tracks live. For the current tour – which stops by the Casbah Monday night – the trio enlists a little help. Guitarist Josh Lattanzi, drummer Ethan Eubanks and keyboardist Bruce Driscoll joins vocalist Durand, guitarist Chase and bassist Schlesinger.

"Live, it's a big challenge for us to reproduce the sound of our records because there are so many layers and so many textures," says Durand. "But I think we manage to do it. Live, Ivy is actually six people. That's the beauty of playing live: You're capturing what's on the record, but in a way it's more visceral."

Ivy's three members are able to break away from the band to pursue side projects, which gives the group's music new life when they reunite. Schlesinger is a member of the highly successful rock band Fountains of Wayne, while Chase produces bands and participates with Durand with the trip-hop project Paco.

"The three of us are very independent people," says Durand. "We need to be able to do other things creatively to feel good about working together and feeling fresh again. When we were ready to make 'In the Clear' it had been three years since the last record. It was just such a great feeling to be back in the studio together and starting to make music again. The main thing about creativity is to feel inspired and excited and feel like it's the first time."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Maroon5, The Thrills: The High Life

The High Life

The Thrills quickly hit the pop heights; now, all they have to do is adjust to the surroundings
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
May 5, 2005

There are many paths to the top of the music industry's rocky mountaintop. A lucky few stumble into a record deal and immediate exposure, others toil for years wearing pink tuxedos while playing the Tic-Tock Lounge on the Jersey Shore before finding an audience.

Chances are Maroon5 never unwillingly wore pink tuxedos, but they did take a winding path to the top. After beginning their careers as Kara's Flowers in September 1995 while finding regional success in L.A.'s music scene, the boys in Maroon5 survived a name change and a record-label switch to score huge success with 2002's "Songs About Jane."

For the Irish quintet the Thrills, just two years after forming in 2001, the band scored a record deal with Virgin and released a critically acclaimed debut with 2003's "So Much for the City."

For lead singer Conor Deasy, the sudden change of fortunes for the band didn't come without its own trials and tribulations.

"It's a very strange process, because in some ways you've gone from zeroes to heroes," said Deasy during a concert stop in Milwaukee. "One minute, you're just another band throwing your demo tapes around like any other band, and the next thing you know you've got a deal.

"On the other hand, you're conscious of the fact that there's so much to play for. You've got so much to prove. You know how fleeting that moment can be. So many bands get dropped in the blink of an eye, especially with all the hype and hot air that surrounds debut albums these days.

"We very much live in the era of the debut album. If it doesn't happen immediately, it can be pretty rough on a band."

The Thrills
Lineup:
Daniel Ryan – guitar
Padraic McMahon – bass
Conor Deasy – vocals
Kevin Horan – keyboards
Ben Carrigan – drums

Discography:

"Let's Bottle Bohemia" (2004, Virgin)

"So Much for the City" ( 2003, Virgin)

TALES OF SAN DIEGO:

The Thrills lead singer, Conor Deasy, spent much of the 30-minute interview telling tales about past experiences and the current tour, showing his Irish storytelling roots. Here are a few of the shorter tales he told:

On Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, a notorious drinker, drying out in San Diego (the Thrills lived behind Taang! Records in Mission Beach during their stay here):

"Above Taang! Records was this empty, vacant apartment that was used for a whole number of different things. Even during our few months there, it changed from a souvenir shop to a fast food joint.

"At one point, it was rented out to people who ran a detox clinic, and he told us that Shane MacGowan once stayed there. But unfortunately, the temptation – being so close to the Mexican border – meant that he didn't stay on the straight and narrow for too long. The term 'from the frying pan and into the fire' might come to mind."

On living in San Diego before recording the debut record "So Much for the City":

"So when we picked San Diego, we were just thinking of the beaches and the weather in California. It didn't seem like an obvious choice. I guess a lot of people would go to L.A. or San Francisco. We liked the fact that it was close to the Mexican border. It just seemed like a fun place.

"The only problem was when we first arrived, we couldn't get any work, we couldn't get any accommodations and we couldn't get into bars. So that was a little bit of a setback for the first couple of weeks.

"Once we got around that, we started having a great time. We really loved the place and it became one of those magical little experiences."

– CHRIS NIXON

After Maroon5's win at the 2004 Grammys (ironically for Best New Artist) and the Thrills' successful sophomore release, "Let's Bottle Bohemia," the two bands who took different paths to recognition join forces for the Honda Civic Tour, which stops at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion Monday.

The Thrills and Maroon5 take different views of the three-minute pop song format. The Los Angeles quintet incorporates snappy melodies and catchy choruses to ensnare new fans. The Thrills woo audiences with a taste of Irish bittersweet balladry.

Deasy recognizes the craft in Maroon5's music, despite not having the indie street cred.

"I think Maroon5 is a really good pop band," says Deasy in his mild-mannered Irish brogue. "They do what they do really well. The three or four big hits, there's a real class to what they do. They're not considered a very cool band, but more often than not 'cool' bands are full of (crap) anyway.

"I think there's a good pop craft to what they do. I guess they are just one of those bands that pops up and becomes the biggest band in the world for a moment."

After the mellow pop sounds of "So Much for the City," many critics compared the Thrills to Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the surf music of the 1960s. Despite writing the album while living in San Diego and recording the album in L.A., Deasy doesn't make a direct link between his music and Wilson's.

"I think there are obvious West Coast influences in our music," corrects Deasy. "But I really wouldn't call ourselves surf music. The only thing we have in common with Brian Wilson is we don't surf."

Deasy sounds a little worn out through the phone lines and with good reason: Since the band released "So Much for the City," the Thrills has toured constantly and released its sophomore effort without a break. And after four years in the cutthroat music business, Deasy has learned some hard lessons.

"We need to get the balance right and do things on our terms," says Deasy, looking down the road at a possible break this summer and recording the next album. "Putting out a record, it's a great feeling. But once the record's out and the merry-go-round begins, you have to be prepared for that because it takes a lot out of you."

Right now, the Thrills is getting a taste of the pop high-life, touring with the wildly successful Maroon5.

"It starts off younger in the front rows," says Deasy of fans at the recent Honda Civic shows. "There's a little bit of the 'teenage girl' element. If you say hello, you tend to get an ear-deafening screech from the front. As you move back in the crowd, you see more women in their early-30s and a few boyfriends who've been dragged along. It's quite a varied audience really."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Coachella preview: Fill it to the brim

Fill it to the brim

A wide range of good music, good vibes will spill out on the field at annual Coachella fest
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
April 28, 2005

Each year in the Empire Polo Field's wide-open spaces, the desert serves as a backdrop to one of best music festivals in the business: the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

Polo fields happen to be the largest playing fields with boundaries in organized sports (300 yards by 160 yards), so the locale just outside of Palm Springs provides acres of manicured grassy fields and spectacular views of desert mountain ranges in the distance.

Striking scenery may serve as the setting, but music remains the reason people drive to the desert. Modeled after European festivals drawing diverse artists and crowds, Coachella makes a point each year to include artsy headliners with worthy smaller arts from indie rock, hip-hop and electronica with a smattering of world music and jazz.

This year, Coldplay headlines the Saturday show, while Nine Inch Nails brings big-name clout to the Sunday lineup.

Many San Diegans make the trip to Indio each year to take in the unique atmosphere and the wide array of bands. This year's lineup also features such San Diego-bred favorites as Pinback and the Locust.


BEST MUSICAL BETS
SATURDAY

Bauhaus: The Goth-rock originators have re-formed with the lineup of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins and David J (now living in North County). Such post-Bauhaus side projects as Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets and Peter Murphy's solo albums surpassed the popularity of the original band, but true connoisseurs understand Bauhaus' importance.

Cafe Tacuba: Bands singing lyrics in Spanish tend to get lumped into the rock en espanol bin, but this Mexican quartet transcends the tag with quirky songwriting and a Beck-like cohesiveness despite using alt-rock, hip-hop and Latino influences. Cafe Tacuba – which won a 2004 Grammy for its "Cuatros Caminos" – gave a great performance at 2003's Street Scene, so it's good to have them back in Southern California.

Spoon: "That's the way we get by," croaks Spoon lead singer Britt Daniel on the Austin, Texas, quartet's excellent 2002 release, "Kill the Moonlight." This is indie music with melody stretching the boundaries of guitar-driven rock. Spoon will release a new disc, "Some Fiction," on May 10, so expect a bunch of new tunes at the Coachella performance.

Zap Mama: How wonderful is Zap Mama? Zap Mama's Marie Daulne – with her rhythmic, raspy vocals – understands the connection between African music and contemporary R&B, soul and hip-hop. Zap Mama's 2004 release, "Ancestry in Progress," taps the skills of the Roots, Talib Kweli, Common and Erykah Badu. Kweli will be on hand as part of Black Star, so expect a guest spot at Saturday's Zap Mama performance.

Amp Fiddler: After spending years honing his funk/soul skills as a sideman for Maxwell and George Clinton's bands, Amp Fiddler made a name for himself with the smooth R&B sound of his 2004 solo disc, "Waltz of a Ghetto Fly." Criminally overlooked, the album gives Fiddler (a Street Scene alumni) free range to explore stripped-down funk-tinged soul music.

SUNDAY

Nine Inch Nails: Anyone interested in attending Coachella probably knows about Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor and his penchant for creating accessible industrial music accented by crunching guitars and angst-ridden vocals. But NIN still deserves to be mentioned because the band puts on an amazing live show. "With Teeth," the new disc from Reznor, appears in record stores Tuesday, so expect to hear some new songs.

Black Star: With almost a dozen hip-hop artists gracing the Indio stages, Coachella reaffirms its love for hip-hop that shuns materialistic blather in favor of rhythmic art and lyrical intelligence. Before Mos Def graced the silver screen and Talib Kweli broke loose as a solo artist, these two MCs rocked the hip-hop world as Black Star. Their 1998 debut "Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Blackstar" did more than just launch the careers of two promising MCs, it reminded us that hip-hop doesn't have to be coated in diamonds.

Pinback: If you're into the local music scene, you probably know about Pinback and its beautifully crafted, transcendent indie rock songs. Touring in support of 2004's "Summer in Abaddon," Zach Smith and Rob Crow are gaining notice from more than music journalists and indie rock aficionados. Pinback's Sunday performance at Coachella should help expose the band to a larger audience.

DJ Krush: Japanese DJ-producer Krush, aka Hideaki Ishi, creates introspective, mainly instrumental hip-hop tracks. Splicing underground hip-hop cred (he's worked with the Roots, Aesop Rock, Company Flow, DJ Shadow and Mos Def) with samples of wooden flutes and traditional Japanese instruments, Krush remains one of hip-hop's most imaginative songsmiths.

The Stereophonics: This Welsh trio feels equally at home in meat-and-potatoes, Stones-influenced rock, U2-tinged melodic rock and fuzzy garage indie rock. Note the common word here: rock. The Stereophonics are simply a great rock band. The group just released the cleverly titled "Language. Sex. Violence. Other?," another set of excellent multi-chromatic rock tunes.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.

NUTS AND BOLTS
All ages are welcome; children under 5 are free. Festival gates open at 11 a.m. each day and parking lots and box office open 9 a.m. The event is rain or shine. Everyone entering the venue is subject to a search. Photo ID required for all will-call ticket pickups. Tickets can be purchased at the box office on event days. Once in the festival, you can't leave and go back in.

Tickets are $81 per person per day, and Ticketmaster is adding $11.05 for a convenience charge and $3 for a "Building Facility Charge."


Directions and parking
From San Diego: Take I-15 north to I-215 north. Take state route 60 east to I-10 east toward Palm Springs, past Highway 111; exit at Indio Boulevard. Traffic personnel will direct cars to the Empire Polo Field and event parking lots. Parking is free; no overnight parking without a camping permit.

Camping: Coachella provides on-site camping. Guidelines: www.coachella.com. On-site camping tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster: (619) 220-TIXS or www.ticketmaster.com.

Can bring: Backpacks, hat, sun block, lighters, sunglasses, cigarettes, small beach towel, fanny packs, digital cameras (nonprofessional), disposable and nonprofessional film cameras.

Can't bring: Musical instruments, knives, weapons, chains, chain wallets, blankets, outside food and beverage, camel packs, tents, flags, chairs, video cameras, audio recording devices, bota bags, professional cameras, stuffed animals, pets, drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Tips for Coachella
Get there early: Most Coachella-goers don't bother with the early afternoon hours of the festival. That makes the early afternoon hours the best time to go. The line at the entry gates can be long from 1 p.m. on, so line up before noon. The early shows from lesser-known bands are often the most rewarding, allowing stage-front access and dancing room.

Bring sunscreen, a hat and a small backpack: It's the desert; the sun will be intense. Use sunscreen, bring a hat and bring a small backpack to carry everything in. The official Coachella site (www.coachella.com) defines the regulation backpack size.

Bring money: The organizers of Coachella know they have a captive audience, so they will charge for food, beer and alcohol. The festival T-shirts feature cool designs and run $20 to $30.

Stay the night: Driving to Indio takes approximately three hours from San Diego. Add six to 12 hours of music and the time it takes to get in and out of the venue, and you have more than a full day. The Palm Springs area offers a wide variety of lodging options from on-site camping to fancy hotels. Check out www.coachella.com or call the lodging hot line at (800) 537-6986.

Patience: Coachella is a huge festival. There will be a lot of people there. There will be lines. But, in general, everyone is mellow. If you have a little patience, you'll have a better time and fit right in.

Jimmy Chamberlin: 'Life Begins Again"

Chamberlin likes beat of his new 'Life'

By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 31, 2005

When former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan drummer Jimmy Chamberlin migrated from Chicago to Murrieta in California in August with his wife, Lori, and 3-year-old daughter, Audrey, he not only found a new band, but a convenient set of baby sitters.

Lori's parents, who live in Escondido, have provided Chamberlin the freedom to embark on his new project – the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex – without worrying about his wife or child being alone at home.

"It's easier for me to work out here," says Chamberlin during a recent tour stop at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. "It's certainly easier for me to leave knowing that my wife is close to her family, and we have a baby sitter close by that we can trust. It makes the music easier, it makes living at home easier."

The move to Southern California reflects a more mature Chamberlin, who drove the Smashing Pumpkins percussive sound from 1988-1996, then again from 1999 until the group disbanded in 2000. Along with musical soulmate Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy, Chamberlin and the Pumpkins elevated alt-rock to angelic heights during the 1990s.

The years between 1996 and 1999 marked a turbulent time in the drummer's life, clouded by a drug overdose and his resulting expulsion from the band. After a stint in Billy Corgan's post-Pumpkins project Zwan, Chamberlin has found new life in his marriage, his family and a new band with his name on it.

Aptly titled "Life Begins Again," the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex's debut album on Sanctuary Records finds the 40-year-old drummer in top form. The disc finds Chamberlin and his new bandmates exploring technical rock and sweet songwriting.

"Certainly, my first inclination was to wow people but when I thought about it, my strong points really lie in song support," says Chamberlin, who penned the lyrics for six songs on the album. "Even though I'm a jazz-trained drummer, I cut my teeth playing rock. The influences on the record were basically anything that changed music, from Chick Corea to Bauhaus. If it's a fusion, it's somewhere between Mahavishnu (Orchestra) and the Cure."

The Complex represents a collaboration between Chamberlin and multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals), who auditioned for Zwan when Corgan was assembling his follow-up to the Smashing Pumpkins. Mohler didn't fit the band, but Chamberlin and he became fast friends. When Chamberlin signed a three-record deal with Sanctuary, he contacted Mohler. The duo co-wrote and co-produced the album, along with performances by guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme and keyboardist Adam Benjamin.

"When you do a project like this, it's all-encompassing: everything is new, you're building new relationships, and you're trying to set the groundwork for something that's very special to you," says Chamberlin. "So it takes a ton of emotional investment. Some of the other bands I've been in, the criticisms didn't land in my lap. For this thing, Mohler and I are standing on our own two feet."

Mohler sings on two tunes, but the album also features the vocal talents of Corgan ("Loki Cat"), ex-Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson ("Life Begins Again" and "Love Is Real") and the always righteous Bill Medley ("Lullabye"). Chamberlin also enlisted his brother Paul to play drums with him on "Loki Cat."

According to Chamberlin, fans of the Smashing Pumpkins can look forward to many more collaborations between Corgan and the drummer: "It was a natural thing for him and I work to work together on this. I just worked on his solo record as well. It's good to let people know that our musical relationship is intact and that we'll be doing stuff together in the future."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

New stuff

I'm currently working on a subscription functionality for the site, so you can sign up and be notified via e-mail every time I add a new post (which is approximately once a week). Let me know if you are having any problems with this and I'll continue to tinker. Thanks, cn

Very Handsome

CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW
'cause they get better looking every day – Handsome Boy Modeling School

By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 24, 2005
Prince Paul Huston and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura love the word "handsome."

Sure, they used the word a total of 36 times in a 15-minute conversation (more than twice a minute). But the two superstar producers also believe in the "concept" behind handsomeness, which they chose to share with the world in their Handsome Boy Modeling School project.

Assuming the identities of Chest Rockwell (Prince Paul) and Nathaniel Merriweather (Dan the Automator), the two producers donned fake mustaches and an ultra-suave style as a basis for the collaboration, an amalgamation of hip-hop, rock, soul and turntablism.

Based on a skit from Chris Elliot's hilarious but short-lived comedy TV series, "Get a Life," Rockwell and Merriweather focus on the good things in life: fine wine, good music and beautiful women.

"We travel a lot and we see the same faces," says Rockwell, tongue firmly planted in his cheek during a recent three-way conference call. "We travel amongst the wealthy and rich to various shows and poker events. We see the same guys and they have tons of women around them. And they have the same attributes I have.

"So, somewhere along the line, we were introduced. We realized: 'You're handsome. I'm handsome. We can't keep this to ourselves. Let's do a public service. You gotta share the love.' "

After making their marks as producers (Huston with De La Soul and Nakamura with Gorillaz and Deltron 3030), the duo first appeared on the public radar in 1999's "So ... How's Your Girl?," which featured performances by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, El-P Grand Puba and Father Guido Sarducci. The album became an instant underground classic, mixing a campy lounge mentality with the best cutting-edge hip-hop MCs.

Packed with high-profile cameos from across the boards (John Oates to Mike Patton to RZA), the Handsome Boy Modeling School returned in 2004 with "White People." The album marked a reunion for the two after five years apart.

"The thing is, five years in time to regular people is a lot different to five years for handsome people," says Merriweather, whose repartee with Rockwell resembles a comedic tennis match. "It definitely flies. One year almost equals one hour," adds Rockwell.

"Did you catch the lecture tours we did with Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra?" counters Merriweather.

Rockwell: "Man, you missed something that was pretty incredible and magical."

"White People" features a bevy of unlikely collaborations: former Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton with turntablist Rob Swift and indie folk singer Cat Power ("Are You Down With It"), MC Del Tha Funkee Homosapien with reggae artist Barrington Levy and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapronos ("The World's Gone Mad"), Jack Johnson with turntablist Kid Koala ("Breakdown"), Wu-Tang's RZA with indie rockers the Mars Volta ("A Day in the Life") and jazzy pianist Jamie Cullum with John Oates ("Greatest Mistake").

So how did these two hip-hop producers muster the talents of such a varied roster?

"Man, you just have to throw the right kind of dinner parties and the right kind of people show up," says Rockwell.

Merriweather adds: "They come to us because they know we can teach them something about becoming more handsome."

After all the mixing and matching on both the albums, the real challenge comes when the Handsome Boy Modeling School hits the road. For its Tuesday Belly Up show in Solana Beach, Patton and MC Dres (formerly of Black Sheep) are confirmed. But keep your eyes open for special guests.

"Obviously, we have to make concessions, because a lot of Handsome Boy graduates are in demand," says Merriweather, who is set to release a new Gorillaz album in early summer. "We haven't tried to calculate it, but if we traveled with the whole Handsome Boy Modeling School it'd be like 70 people on the road.

"We try to bring out some of the graduates, and we have a band, and we have a whole video thing going on. Manfred Winters comes and hosts."

So how do Merriweather and Rockwell rate alter egos Prince Paul and Dan the Automator on the handsomeness scale?

Rockwell estimates: "It's a good start. They are handsome young men in their own right. But we could all use a little improvement, couldn't we?"

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Five Albums
that get the Handsome Boy Modeling School's seal of approval for smoothness:

"H20" by Hall & Oates( RCA, 1982)
The Skinny: This album represents the ultimate in Hall & Oates-driven neon nostalgia. Crackling with 1980s synth sounds ("Maneater," "Family Man") smoothed out by soulful ballads ("One on One"), "H20" sounds painfully soft two decades later. But, apparently it's handsome: John Oates and his mustache make a guest appearance on "White People."

"Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack" (Polydor, 1977)
The Skinny: The apex of disco marks a turning point for dance music. Without this album, there are no clubs for DJs to develop their skills, no raves and maybe no electronica music. Love it or hate it, "Saturday Night Fever" is one of the most important albums in the second half of the 20th century. Very high on the handsome scale and fits perfectly with the kitschy Handsome Boy persona.

"Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione (A&M Records, 1977)
The Skinny: Now doomed to dentist's office lobbies and elevators throughout the land, Chuck Mangione's flugelhorn musings and groovy 1970s funk jazz once marked the pinnacle of musicianship in popular music. If you can get past the painful associations (the aforementioned claustrophobic elevators and noisy dentist's offices), the music is quite good.

Anything by Al Green (preferably 1970s Green; his first four albums in a disc-changer will work)
The Skinny: Who is more handsome than the Rev. Al Green? Not even Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell can match Green's smoothness. The soul singer has been schooling singles and couples on love, happiness and staying together for nearly half a century. "Love and Happiness" is one of the most handsome songs of all time.

"Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk (Capitol, 1977)
The Skinny: Utterly efficient, mechanic and unsoulful (at least compared to the rest of this list), Kraftwerk created techno years before electronica and decades before a single glow stick found it's way to a club. Kraftwerk would despise the chaos of a club, opting for the sterile studio environment instead. They are handsome in a clean-cut, hair-slicked-back kind of way.

– CHRIS NIXON

Resurrected Crue

Motley Crue – yes, them – roars back to life

By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 17, 2005

Flashback to the mid-'80s: Heavy metal ruled the world. Glam hard-rock bands roamed the planet, partying and causing havoc with each stop of their never-ending arena tours. And millions of teenagers spent hours in front of bathroom mirrors, perfecting Billy Idol's lip-curl sneer, imitating David Lee Roth's swagger or trying to twirl drumsticks like Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

With crunching guitar riffs and bombastic drums, Motley Crue offered kids rebellion in the form of leather and hairspray. With charismatic frontman Vince Neil, spikey-haired bassist Nikki Sixx, brooding guitarist Mick Mars and lanky party boy Lee, the Crue forged a reputation onstage and off as beer-swilling, womanizing rock stars.

As the 1980s drew to a close and the '90s dawned, the public eye shifted to the darker grunge sound as metal grew soft. More hair bands tried to crack the Top 40 market with accessible ballads and crooning vocals. As musical genres sometimes do, metal became a parody of itself.

But Motley Crue – after surviving the '80s – continues to rock. The band recently regrouped and is in the middle of a world tour, including a stop Tuesday night at Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.

Almost a quarter of a century after its inception, the Crue still earns props from metal veterans and young punks alike. So does it bother the outspoken Lee when people talk wistfully about the 1980s and Motley Crue?

"I'm cool with it: I just look at it like a big complement," says Lee from the Crue's tour bus, on the road to promote a new double-disc greatest hits album, "Red, White and Crue." "I remembered someone telling me that they saw Travis from blink-182 spinning around up-side-down on his drums, and I had done that back in '85. I just got a smile on my face. Somebody else might be upset about it, but I just feel like it's rad. It means I made – if not a permanent mark – a cool little scar on someone's musical life."

The past 25 years read like a hazy, demented soap opera for the guys in Motley Crue: Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter in 1984 when his friend Razzle was killed in an alcohol-related crash; Sixx was pronounced dead after a Sunset Strip heroin binge in 1987; Lee's on-again, off-again romance with Pamela Anderson (throw in charges of spousal abuse). Crue's story produced the best "VH-1 Behind the Music" episode to date, required viewing for would-be rock stars oblivious to the dangers of excess.

But the music overrides all the tabloid hype, or at least enhances the legend. The band's first two albums – 1981's "Too Fast for Love" and 1983's "Shout at the Devil" – remain loud reminders of Motley Crue's mammoth rock sound. But during the 1990s, metal bands fell on hard times. Grunge and introspective rock captured the public's attention.

Feeling hemmed in by the musical constraints of the band, Lee left the group in 1999 to try his hand at new styles and different roles. He explored rap-rock territory with his band Methods of Mayhem (helped out by Lil' Kim, Fred Durst, Kid Rock and Mix Master Mike) on the self-titled release in 1999. In 2002, he released the song-oriented rock album "Never a Dull Moment" under his own name.

Life on the road has changed for the guys and the drummer looks at life as a member of Motley Crue differently than when he was in 20s.

"A lot of time has passed, a lot of times you take things for granted," states Lee. "I think everybody (in the band) realizes now that what the four of us do is real special."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

N&D Cover: The Next Wave

The Futureheads are vocal about their approach: 'We're having loads of fun playing loud music'

By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 10, 2005

Little kids know it, but sometimes adults forget it: Singing is fun.

Just ask Jaff, the bassist for the Brit-rock quartet the Futureheads: "You have to really concentrate and really put some effort into the singing, and singing is great fun, you know?" said Jaff during a recent concert stop in Boston, as his band tours the States in support of its self-titled debut album. "We all sing really loud. The endorphins that it produces in your body is pretty amazing. We could have the worst audience in the world, but then they start to realize that we're having loads of fun playing loud music. It can really swing an audience for us."

And the Futureheads has been swinging audiences since its inception in November 2000. After toiling for three years in the northern English hometown of Sunderland, the Futureheads burst into public consciousness this past year with its brand of frenetic New Wave and sing-along vocal harmonies. Packed with edgy energy, the Futureheads' first full-length album features catchy vocals from all four members.

"The idea behind the singing was we thought, 'Well, we're all going to stand up there on stage, we should all play an equal role,'" said Jaff. "Someone obviously needs to sing lead vocals on every track, but everyone should have a microphone on stage. Even if you're just picking up their breathing or the screams and yelps from Dave the drummer.


"It makes all the difference," Jaff said. "There's more air moving about. People aren't just focused on Barry in the middle singing the lyrics. There's me and Ross on either side of the stage singing stereo harmonies. It's much like watching a tennis match, the crowd's heads are moving side to side following the ball."

New Wave music, king in the 1980s, has seen a revival of sorts in the past few years. Bands such as Metric, Ima Robot and the Futureheads breathe new life into the once-dead genre, reviving the spirits of the Knack and Missing Persons. But instead of synthesizer-driven hard pop, the new generation relies heavily on the traditional guitar-bass-drums setup. In the Futureheads' case, the band replaces cheesy synth parts with their voices. Among the vocal volleying and layered harmonies, the Futureheads' jagged guitars joust with crisp rhythm performances – all contained in an upbeat, accessible pop package.

One of the new disc's standout tracks is "Hounds of Love," the title track from Kate Bush's largely forgotten gem originally released in 1985. The song opens with Jaff and guitarist Ross Millard's sing-song chanting, with vocalist Barry Hyde crooning over the top while little brother Dave Hyde lays down an airtight beat.

"My dad was a massive Kate Bush fan. Whether it was because of her music or because he fancied her, I'm not really sure," said Jaff. "I think it's a pretty good reason if you ask me; she's a fox."

When the Futureheads roll into town for a show at all-ages venue the Epicentre, expect to do a little singing yourself: "We do this thing on 'Hounds of Love' now where we split the audience in half: one side sings my half and one half sings Ross' half. So you have the audience create this mass participational noise. It's good fun."

Backed by a major-label deal with Warner, these four kids in their early 20s have come a long way from Sunderland. Get to know them. They plan to be around for a bit, and deservedly so.

"We initially got label interest about two years ago," said Jaff. "Eventually, we got this deal with Warner, and it's really allowed us to spread our music worldwide. It just completely changed things for us. Because, in the beginning, you're alone, you're just a small band from Sunderland at the end of the day. And now we've released this record all over the world and we're just having a ball doing it."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Focused aggression, pop melodies and other influences
DISCOGRAPHY
"The Futureheads" – 2004, Sire/Warner

LINEUP
Ross Millard – guitar, vocals

Barry Hyde – vocals, guitar

Jaff – bassist, vocals

Dave Hyde – drums


SPIN CYCLE
The Futureheads draws from many influences, but bassist Jaff lists five albums the band listened to during the recording of their debut self-titled record:

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – "The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot"

Warner Bros., 1972

File under: Off-kilter avant blues-rock powered by meandering marimbas, gritty guitar riffs and Beefheart's gravelly sandpaper vocals.

Sounds like: Frank Zappa meets Tom Waits

Jaff says: "I don't know if you can get it over here, but the double Captain Beefheart album is great. In the UK, you get two albums together. The vocals on that record and his approach to playing real music with real instruments is amazing. A lot of people missed the Captain Beefheart thing. The instrumentation and the arrangements on that album are mind-blowing. The grooves that the drummer and bass player lay down, me and Davey really try to emulate them."

SHELLAC – "1,000 Hurts"

Touch & Go Records, 2000

File under: Punk-tinged growling guitars and iron drums interlock with piston-like efficiency, led by soundsmith and producer extraordinaire Steve Albini (the Pixies, Nirvana, P.J. Harvey, the Breeders).

Sounds like: early "Bleach"-era Nirvana meets Sonic Youth

Jaff says: "It was a big influence: Albini's approach and his command of the audience. Barry and Ross saw them live and after that played them every day. They came back from the show and said, 'We need to be more like this.' On that record (singing): 'Kill 'em, kill 'em, kill 'em already, kill 'em." We try to use that kind of focused aggression along with pop melodies."

XTC – "Drums & Wires"

Virgin Records, 1979

File under: Exquisite harmonies and intricate pop arrangements cover lead singer Andy Partridge's lyrical neuroses like a warm comforting blanket.

Sounds like: The angry young man spiel of Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello smoothed out by – dare we say – Beatles-esque pop.

Jaff says: "I think that XTC has been an influence for us from the start. As far as the group goes, it's probably not our favorite XTC album. But I was listening to this one a lot during the recording of the album. I listened to Colin Moulding's bass lines a lot. All the jaggedy guitars and the kooky pop songs were an influence.

LED ZEPPELIN – "Houses of the Holy"

Atlantic Records, 1973

File under: The definition of bombastic rock, a glimpse of one of rock's greatest bands at the height of their creative powers.

Sounds like: No one else before or since (worth mentioning). The perfect combination of Led Zep's sweet acoustic side (see "Led Zeppelin III") and their trademark thunderous rock (see "Led Zeppelin II").

Jaff says: "I've got to mention 'Houses of the Holy' for the diversity of sounds: the acoustic sounds, the guitar sounds. Pretty much any of the first Led Zeppelin albums are untouchable, as far as I'm concerned. So I've got to mention Zeppelin. Jon Bonham is an absolutely immense drummer."

SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY "Going Down Swinging"

Southern Records, 2002

File under: Punk kids who listen to a lot of 1970s art rock and early SST Records bands (like the Tar Babies), with angsty vocals, odd time signatures and avant-garde saxophone licks.

Sounds like: Fugazi on amphetamines

Jaff says: "Barry never had it off the entire time we were recording the album. They're like Faraquet. Have you heard Faraquet's "The View From This Tower?" The guitar sounds and the groove they get going are truly amazing. They have a lead saxophone player, need I say more?"

– CHRIS NIXON

Sage Francis: The flip-flopper

Sage Francis moves easily between spoken word and hip-hop in search of a way to come at the world 'from new angles'

By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 3, 2005

From the Holy Ghost preachings of Southern Baptist ministers to the beat poets' roving beatnik spirit, the spoken word benefits from the immovable force of rhythm and rhyme. So it makes sense that hip-hop and spoken-word poetry – two urban forms of verbal expression centered around beats and poetry – go hand-in-hand and artistically feed off each other.

Coffeehouses gave birth to spoken-word poetry in the 1990s, while dance parties set off the hip-hop revolution in the late 1970s. Spoken word emerged from an intellectual perspective, with a wider vocabulary and a broader range of topics. Hip-hop emerged from the dance-oriented party vibe, always maintaining the beats, the rhymes, the heartbeat.

The best hip-hop invokes the gray matter much like spoken word does, and the best poetry implies beats and rhythms. For the past decade, spoken-word poetry and hip-hop lived in two different worlds, but coexisted in the same universe.

Hip-hop MC and spoken-word artist Sage Francis tries to differentiate between the two art forms (in his own tongue-in-cheek style): "That's easy. Spoken word is spoken word. Some spoken word can have a hip-hop appeal, but it is not accompanied by music. There's all different kinds of spoken word. All different kinds of hip-hop. Wait ... this isn't easy at all."


A foot in two worlds
Despite forming two decades apart, both movements led to a form of hybrid artist: Saul Williams, muMs the Schemer and Francis to name a few. While poets like Williams and muMs occasionally venture into hip-hop territory, Francis makes his home there.

"The poetry environment allowed me to explore different subject matter and come at it from new angles," says Francis via e-mail, because he never does phone interviews ("I hate putting something to my ear in order to talk to someone who I can't see").

"It helped me develop as a writer being around different kinds of people and reading in front of new crowds," continues Francis. "Just by being heavily involved in the poetry scene, it leaked into what I talked about in my rap songs and the way I worded them."

Since he was 8 years old, Francis has been kicking rhymes and honing his skills. His words led him to the emerging slam poetry scene in the late-'90s, and he ranked among the best at the National Poetry Slam competition. Along with his two solo releases, Francis has also recorded and toured with as part of the hip-hop duo Non-Prophets and the Art Official Intelligence collective, developing fans in the underground hip-hop scene.

Living in the age of hip-hoprisy
Released in early February 2005 on Epitaph Records, Francis' latest album, "A Healthy Distrust," begins with a documentary voice-over stating: "You are listening to the heartbeat of the SAGE." Taken from a 1950s film by IBM promoting a military computer called SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), the quote serves two purposes. First, the snippet satisfies the hip-hop standard of name dropping through spliced sound clips. More importantly – for those who understand the clip's original meaning – the quote sets the stage for Francis' highly political stance echoed throughout the album's lyrics.

In contrast to the current bling-bling rap culture, Francis marches along the thin line between spoken word and hip-hop, angrily condemning political complacency and violence.

"People should have a healthy distrust of all authority and the institutions all around them," writes Francis. "They should question why things are the way they are, who is responsible and how they fit into that puzzle. Most people have fallen right back into their comfortably uninformed seating assignment. It doesn't matter if they trust the government or not, because they are programmed to feel helpless and that makes them complacent in whatever situation they are given."

All the way live
Francis slams down his rhymes with passion and conviction, a practice that has shredded his vocal chords. During his fervent live performances, he's backed by a quintet called the Sol.iLLaquists of Sound – Tom Inhaler on guitar, DJ Divinci, MC Swamburger and vocalists Alexandra(h) and Tanya.

While explaining his reasons for not doing phone interviews, Francis says, "I have polyps on my vocal cords so I am staying away from using my voice except for when I am on stage with a mike in my hand. It's a very serious problem that I had checked a couple days ago. The doctor recommended I stop the tour. That's not an option for me. I did have to cancel a couple shows though in order to heal up a bit.

"The shows were so intense and crazy that I blew my vocal cords out," continues Francis, who performs at 'Canes in Mission Beach tomorrow. "I am currently trying to build myself back up to a good performing voice. Until then, I am all blood and guts on stage."

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.


Five with the right rhyme schemes
Hip-hop and spoken-word poetry have rubbed elbows since slam poetry burst into public consciousness in the 1990s. Sage Francis made his mark in both genres.

Here are five artists Francis cites as performers he pays attention to, either from a spoken-word background doing hip-hop or MCs that write rhymes that could be recited in coffeehouses. It is said that artists are our cultural "canaries in the coal mine," so listen up:

SAUL WILLIAMS
Background: Williams rocked the slam poetry scene with his intricate lyricism and his intense live performances as the scene gained national exposure.

Latest release: "Saul Williams" (Fader Label, 2005)

Lyrics: Nah, I wasn't raised at gunpoint and I've read too many books / To distract me from the mirror when unhappy with my looks / And I ain't got proper diction for the makings of a thug, though I grew up in the ghetto and my niggas all sold drugs / And though that may validate me for a spot on MTV or get me all the airplay that my bank account would need / I was hoping to invest in a lesson that I learned when I thought this fool would jump me just because it was my turn – from "Talk to Strangers" on "Saul Williams"


SOLE
Background: Coming straight out of Portland, Maine, MC Sole helped create one of the mainstays of the East Coast indie hip-hop, the Anticon collective.

Latest release: "Selling Live Water" (Anticon, 2003)

Lyrics: I've been doing this for too long to keep / Singing the same song / This is another one of those happy moments not made for anyone / I don't rap in bumper stickers, I'm witty with 40-liners / Every breath is a chorus, sing along if you're still breathing / I've got gods, I've got issues – from "I Don't Rap in Bumper Stickers" from "Bottle of Humans"


JARED PAUL
Background: Jared Paul is a social worker from Providence, R.I. (same hometown as Sage Francis). He is the director of the Providence Youth Slam and has been a member of the Providence Slam Team (5th at nationals in 2003) for the past four years.

Latest release: Featured on the "Sickly Business" compilation (Strange Family Records)

Lyrics: Z is not for 'Zion' or 'Zachariah,' it's for 'Zenith' / If you and I sacrifice our surplus so everyone has what they need / Then we can reach it / Now they say that at poetry slams and protests / You are preaching to the choir / And that our real goal should be to get the ideas presented in this forum to the outside world / But you are not the choir / I don't believe you are working as hard as possible / I don't see us doing everything that we can / Evolution has to move faster than this – from "For Roger"


SLUG
Background: As one half of Minneapolis-based duo Atmosphere, Slug brings hard introspective rhymes and a heady take on the world.

Latest release: "Seven's Travel's" (Epitaph, 2003)

Lyrics: In the days of kings and queens I was jester / They treat me like a god or they treat me like a leper / You see me move back and forth between both / I'm to find a balance / I'm trying to build a balance – from "Trying to Find a Balance" on "Seven's Travels"


SWAMBURGER
Background: Born Asaan Harazshi Brooks in Chicago before making Orlando, Fla., his home, Swamburger oozes smooth rhymes sans pimpin' street lingo. His words hark back to the days of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul while his beats reside on the R&B side.

Latest release: "Roots of Kin" (Eighth Dimensions, 2003)

Lyrics: Dedicated to my mother and her mother / Daughters and sisters across the globe / I give respect in order to get respect – "Womanside" from "Roots of Kin"

– CHRIS NIXON